IT was a clear message to their title rivals – Manchester United are back where they belong. The look on Cristiano Ronaldo’s face said it all after he finally broke the deadlock to seal victory in a clash that was almost too close for comfort at Pride Park.

After racing on to Wayne Rooney’s cross from the left in the 75th minute to fire past former Red Devils keeper Roy Carroll, Ronaldo’s relief and joy was clear after he had been jeered by the home crowd for missing a hatful of chances to put the game beyond a stubborn Derby County.

The goal also put United back in pole position in the title race, and for more than just a couple of hours as Arsenal again slipped up with a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough – the Gunners’ fourth Premier League draw in a row since they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Sir Alex Ferguson’s side at Old Trafford.

And if United do defend their crown come the end of the season, it will be games like this that prove the difference between the Red Devils and their rivals after they ground out a victory against a side determined not to be embarrassed again.

Many were expecting a landslide victory for the visitors after Derby shipped six goals to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge four days earlier.

But, despite the fact Paul Jewell’s Rams are being sucked into a desperate bid to avoid finishing the season with the Premier League’s worst-ever points tally, they were never going to fold so easily twice in quick succession.

While at times the home side were lucky that Ronaldo seemed to have left his shooting boots at home, they put up a valiant fight and could even have stolen the most unlikely of triumphs had it not been for a commanding debut by United keeper Ben Foster.

Foster was playing for the first time in a United shirt nearly three years after his arrival at Old Trafford, having spent two impressive seasons on loan at Watford and then enduring seven months on the sidelines in this campaign following a knee operation in the summer.

With Edwin van der Sar injured and Tomasz Kuszczak suspended, the 24-year-old – who caught Ferguson’s eye in 2005 during a loan spell at Wrexham which saw the Dragons lift the LDV Vans Trophy – was thrust into his debut having played just one reserve match this season.

Although his kicking was wayward early on, Foster held his nerve to pass his first real tests, twice denying Rams striker Kenny Miller in the first half.

Eddie Lewis found space behind stand-in right-back John O’Shea down Derby’s left flank, crossing for Miller to hit a half-volley, which Foster did well to turn round the post, diving low to his left.

Then came an even better chance for Miller to cause shockwaves in the title race when Wales striker Robert Earnshaw found the striker with a through-ball which split open a makeshift United defence lacking the rested Rio Ferdinand.

As Miller bore down on goal with only Foster to beat, however, the keeper made himself big to stop the shot from curling into the top corner.

United had dominated the game up until then with Ryan Giggs heading over from a Ji-Sung Park cross inside the first minute, and Ronaldo sending the first of a glut of uncharacteristically wayward efforts over the crossbar.

The Portuguese ace – playing up front alongside Rooney – did much better with his next two chances, striking the post from 12 yards after O’Shea found him in space, then forcing Carroll into a finger-tip save.

Rooney had a chance to get in on the act just before the break, bamboozling Darren Moore on the right-hand edge of the 18-yard box as he brilliantly controlled a lofted ball over the Derby defence, but firing into the side netting with Carroll rushing out to meet him.

Carroll continued to frustrate United in the second half, matching the audacity of a Ronaldo free-kick from 40 yards by having the gall to save it, then making an instinctive stop from Giggs on the line before keeping out the rebound as it flashed across the six-yard box.

Ronaldo sent another free-kick wide and hit the side netting after an intricate move between Giggs and Rooney, but as the Iberian’s frustration grew and the Rams continued to repel the Red Devils’ relentless forays forward, United again had Foster to thank for averting a shock as the home side refused to lie down.

Midfielder David Jones found Mile Sterjovski 12 yards out, the Australian cleverly turning Patrice Evra before lashing towards the top corner and forcing Foster to again turn over his crossbar.

Derby were defiantly refusing to give up hope, but if there’s one thing United know how to do, it’s to keep going until they win.

For all his mounting frustration, Ronaldo was still cool enough to time his run to perfection when he met Rooney’s ball in from the corner, getting just the right touch at a difficult height to fire into the right-hand corner of Carroll’s net.

He could have doubled his tally moments later but was denied in a one-on-one with Carroll, the Derby keeper then improbably having the home side’s last chance of the game, scuffing his effort from just outside the box as the Rams pushed everyone forward in search of what would have been a plucky point.